New Tank, Beginner With Fish - 48 Hrs In

[Underwurlde]

The latter I'm afraid!

To speed up the cycling process it's best to seed your filters by contacting one of the Donor members close to you and / or you could look into using Bio-Spira.

Andy

 

[snoopstar]

Well, it would appear that the safestart has done something. I have just done a water test 24 hours after adding the ammonia and reached the following results.

Ammonia: 6
Nitrite: 0.5 - A definite pink colour rather than the completely clear it was yesterday.

 

[InaneCathode]

Some starter culture mixes have ammonia and nitrite in them already, the idea being that it's 'food' for the bacteria they do/do not put in the container. The nitrite readings may be a false indication of that.

 

[snoopstar]

I tested the water though after I added the safestart etc and had no ammonia or nitrite readings. Now 24 hours after adding ammonia it is reading both. I'll check it again tonight and would expect higher nitrite and lower ammonia if it is indeed cycling already.

 

[snoopstar]

Ok, tonights readings are:

Ammonia 4.9
Nitirite 1.8

So cycling is definetly talking place already!!

I had a thought though. I have some plants in there from the fish shop. Could they have introduced some bacteria? Although there were no fish in the tanks they came from.

 

[R1ch13]

Ok, tonights readings are:

Ammonia 4.9
Nitirite 1.8

So cycling is definetly talking place already!!

I had a thought though. I have some plants in there from the fish shop. Could they have introduced some bacteria? Although there were no fish in the tanks they came from.

Yeah more than likely !

As you find alot of snails in the plant tanks !

So i am guessing there will be bacteria in those tanks

Which is a good thing...... bacteria thats is ...... snails arent a bad thing at that they just get annoying in large numbers lol

If you know anyone near by with a cycled tank take a bottle of there water i dont know what volume your tank is but when setting up my 2 footer i took 2 two litre botttles from my dad

Good Luck

Richie

 

[InaneCathode]

Plants loooooove nitrogen, keep that in mind. They'll absorb some of your ammonia. Not sure on how much exactly, but some.

Ok, tonights readings are:

Ammonia 4.9
Nitirite 1.8

So cycling is definetly talking place already!!

I had a thought though. I have some plants in there from the fish shop. Could they have introduced some bacteria? Although there were no fish in the tanks they came from.

Yeah more than likely !

As you find alot of snails in the plant tanks !

So i am guessing there will be bacteria in those tanks

Which is a good thing...... bacteria thats is ...... snails arent a bad thing at that they just get annoying in large numbers lol

If you know anyone near by with a cycled tank take a bottle of there water i dont know what volume your tank is but when setting up my 2 footer i took 2 two litre botttles from my dad

Good Luck

Richie

Nitrifying bacteria are sessile, they don't live in the water but rather live stuck to things like your filter media, rocks, walls, plants and so forth. The only thing you'd get with taking someones water is whatever happens to be floating in the water (parasites, spores)

 

[Miss Wiggle]

Plants loooooove nitrogen, keep that in mind. They'll absorb some of your ammonia. Not sure on how much exactly, but some.

Ok, tonights readings are:

Ammonia 4.9
Nitirite 1.8

So cycling is definetly talking place already!!

I had a thought though. I have some plants in there from the fish shop. Could they have introduced some bacteria? Although there were no fish in the tanks they came from.

Yeah more than likely !

As you find alot of snails in the plant tanks !

So i am guessing there will be bacteria in those tanks

Which is a good thing...... bacteria thats is ...... snails arent a bad thing at that they just get annoying in large numbers lol

If you know anyone near by with a cycled tank take a bottle of there water i dont know what volume your tank is but when setting up my 2 footer i took 2 two litre botttles from my dad

Good Luck

Richie

Nitrifying bacteria are sessile, they don't live in the water but rather live stuck to things like your filter media, rocks, walls, plants and so forth. The only thing you'd get with taking someones water is whatever happens to be floating in the water (parasites, spores)

yup, if you know someone with a tank take some mature media from they're filter and you'll definately speed things up. just taking water does absolutely bugger all except put you at risk of cross contamination

 

[Underwurlde]

snails arent a bad thing at that they just get annoying in large numbers lol

Yes, they are a bad thing. PERIOD
DON'T let these little bastards (or their eggs) into your tank. PERIOD
For 'large numbers' read exponentially large numbers.

Clean your plants FIRST...
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=167686

Andy

 

[snoopstar]

Well I did find one snail in there but had him out sharpish. Have been having a good look and can't see anymore, I shall keep an eye out for them !!!

I don't know anyone else I could get media from so I'll let it go at its own pace. Thats fine as I am still researching my future fish anyway.

 

[snoopstar]

My cycling is going well but I have just had a bit of a strange Nitrite result.

My ammonia has been going up and down as I add it and it gets used up and the Nitrite levels have been slowly reducing.

Today and yesterday I had Nitrite tests that were turning the solution yellow rather than the pink it should be with anything above 0ppm. Any ideas why this would be? My kit is a "nutrafin mini master test kit".

 

[Miss Wiggle]

My cycling is going well but I have just had a bit of a strange Nitrite result.

My ammonia has been going up and down as I add it and it gets used up and the Nitrite levels have been slowly reducing.

Today and yesterday I had Nitrite tests that were turning the solution yellow rather than the pink it should be with anything above 0ppm. Any ideas why this would be? My kit is a "nutrafin mini master test kit".

i'm not familiar with that test kit.... is yellow one of the colours on the chart for nitrite?

if the colour is completely different to anything on the scale then the tests are probably contaminated, sterilise the test tube and try again. if in doubt take a sample of your water to your lfs and ask them to test it for you.

 

[Majjie]

Try diluting the sample from the tank with tap water - it may just be way over the scale that your test works for.

 

[snoopstar]

My cycling is going well but I have just had a bit of a strange Nitrite result.

My ammonia has been going up and down as I add it and it gets used up and the Nitrite levels have been slowly reducing.

Today and yesterday I had Nitrite tests that were turning the solution yellow rather than the pink it should be with anything above 0ppm. Any ideas why this would be? My kit is a "nutrafin mini master test kit".

i'm not familiar with that test kit.... is yellow one of the colours on the chart for nitrite?

if the colour is completely different to anything on the scale then the tests are probably contaminated, sterilise the test tube and try again. if in doubt take a sample of your water to your lfs and ask them to test it for you.

Nope, it should be pink. There's no yellow on the scale. I'll try the sterilisation thing and see how it goes. Thanks.

Try diluting the sample from the tank with tap water - it may just be way over the scale that your test works for.

Aha, good point, off scale maybe!! I'll try diluting now and report back shortly !!

Infact got a dead plant to remove so will probably water change too as things will get a bit mucky ! Cheers.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

yeah it'll either be a contaminated sample, completely off the scale or your test kits gone funny (they're only good for about 6 months)